4c Smuggler's Surprise

https://www.moxfield.com/decks/ZXaJwCdYJkKMs02-iDCCPA

Plan A is to cheat in 2 big creatures (hopefully Archon) at instant speed with [[Smuggler's Surprise]] on turn 4 or 5. Plan B is mass reanimating in the mid to late game with [[Lich-Knights' Conquest]].

Plan A is simple on paper but tricky to execute in practice since you want to channel and cast creatures too. So the first copy of Smuggler's Surprise is usually used as a divination since you might not have 2 creatures in hand anymore by the time you get to 6 mana. That mode shouldn't be underestimated though because it helps you find lands and creatures, and you obviously want both. Plus in a deck where the creatures are also spells, drawing two fatties is better than usual. And because the deck has a backup reanimator plan, grabbing 2 lands and milling 2 creatures is also good.

Plan B is more powerful since you can reanimate 3+ creatures at once. Usually it's going to be 2 on turn 4 or turn 5 but late game it can be reanimating 4 creatures. For this card to function you have to play a bunch of artifacts, enchantments or tokens. And that's why the mana rocks are there. [[Blood Fountain]] also ups artifact count, offers a discard outlet for Archon and can be a source of card advantage later.

Currently only running 2x Lich-Knights' Conquest because it feels bad to "whiff" with Smuggler's Surprise. So you definitely need a density of creatures. So that's why [[Young Necromancer]] is here. It could be a 3rd Lich but I think it makes sense to have something like this instead.

Interaction

13 creatures have channel abilities which make them usable in the early game. [[Harvester of Misery]] and [[Trumpeting Carnosaur]] are servicable interaction for early game threats. [[Colossal Skyturtle]] is great vs constructs, Murktide and any big creature. [[Ill-Timed Explosion]] can wrath while offering some velocity.

In the sideboard there's also [[Mirrorshell Crab]]. It's not great but cancel can still save you against some combo decks.

Ramp

I'm playing 4 x green Talismans and 4x [[Pentad Prism]]. I'm a big Pentad Prism hater lol, every time I try the card I think it sucks. But here it plays 2 important roles. First it's obviously ramp + filtering. Thanks to Prism you can cast a full "Tooth and Nail" with Smuggler's Surprise on like turn 5 or 6. And likewise it helps hardcasting Archon. And second, it's an artifact that you can sac to Lich. So even if it no longer has any counters it still has utility on the field and I like that. These mana rocks offer some resilience against Blood Moon.

Main thing I still don't like about Prism is that it's a slight nombo with Carnosaur. You can put it in your hand instead of casting it but it still feels bad to Discover into Prism. So maybe there's an argument for playing 6-8 talismans instead of a 4-4 split.

Last thing I want to mention is how great [[Hostile Investigator]] has felt in this shell. It's in the sideboard for now but it definitely felt like a "Channel Lord". Because it would make a clue every time you channel something on their turn. So that got me thinking about a midrange jund build with Liliana of the Veil and Grief. But that's for another time maybe.

Try the deck out and tell me what you think. :) Manabase could use some work I think. It's functional, just awkward at times.